Page 150 - The Prosperous Way _ (APRIL 2024 v3)

THE PROSPEROUS WAY

other, but true trust can be irrevocably lost. If you want to develop
strong, long-lasting connections, try not to have a short fuse or be
easily upset.

 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not
associate with one easily angered (Proverbs 22:24)
 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who
rules his spirit than he who takes a city (Proverbs 16:32 NKJV)

5) Navigate Disagreements Well

Nobody is perfect, and even if you both have the best of intentions, you
or your friend will make mistakes. Someone once told me how her
grandmother dealt with disagreements with her friends, and her story
has never left me. If her grandmother was hurt or offended by
something a friend said or did, she would take her broom and begin
sweeping. She would sweep the kitchen once, then again and again,
until there was not a single speck of dust in sight. As she swept, she
would talk to herself about the matter. She would mutter under her
breath; "I can't believe that so-and-so had the nerve to say such-and-
such," or “How could she say such a thing!"

But when she had calmed herself down with her sweeping, she would
do this: She would pick up the phone, contact the friend who had
caused her pain, and ask this gentle question: "When you said such and
such, what did you mean?” She would try to understand her friend's
perspective, and then she would share her own heart. Often, the
underlying cause was a simple misunderstanding or misinterpretation.
Patiently listening to each other and attempting to understand the other
person's point of view is frequently all that is needed to resolve a dispute.

Here are some Scriptures that reflect this grandmother’s wisdom in
handling disagreements:

 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up
anger. (Proverbs 15:1)
 A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to
overlook an offense (Proverbs 19:11)

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